Joint Center 2016 Highlights and 2017 Plans

30

Dec

Joint Center 2016 Highlights and 2017 Plans

Submitted by Joint Center

Highlights of 2016

Governance in 2016

Diversity Among Top Congressional Staff:Building on our 31-page report on Diversity Among Top Senate Staff, in 2016 the Joint Center produced this2-minute videoon congressional staff diversity and made several presentations to talk about the issue to U.S. Senators, to congressional staff, and to the media. After the 2016 election, we organized 52 Black, Latino, AAPI, and American Indian organizations and sentthis letterasking six new U.S. Senators to recruit diverse staffs. We also organized outreach to over 70 civil rights organizations and media outlets in six states with newly elected U.S. Senators educating them about the lack of diversity among top staff, and created this fact sheeton the issue. Following our efforts and those of our partner organizations, House Speaker Paul Ryan hired the first Black Chief of Staff in the Speaker's office, Senator Kamala Harris & Senator Thom Tillis hired Black Legislative Directors, Senator Dianne Feinstein hired a Latino Chief of Staff, Senator Jerry Moran hired a Black Chief of Staff, Senator Martin Heinrich hired a Latino Legislative Director, and Senator Cortez Masto hired a Latino Communications Director. The number of Black top staff in Senate offices increased by 100 percent, and incoming Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer announced plans to continue and staff the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative.

Black Talent Initiative: Starting in June 2016, the Joint Center convened 36 Black organizations (e.g., NAACP, National Urban League, INSIGHT America, National Action Network, and more) and over 250 policy and communications experts to work on transition policy and appointments issues. This effort transitioned into the Black Talent Initiative (housed at and staffed by the Joint Center), which identifies and counsels top African American talent for agency appointments and congressional staff positions.Candidates can submit key experiences and expertise onthis online portal, and a searchable database allows Joint Center staff to match this information with job openings for agency appointments and congressional staff positions.

Black44/Joint Center Conference: In October, the Joint Center partnered with Black44 to host a day-long professional development workshop for over 150 Black appointees exiting the Obama Administration. The conference featured speakers such as Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, White House Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, Education Secretary John King, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, and former Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin.

June Roundtable of the South for Elected Officials of Color: From June 21-23 the Joint Center hosted over 20 of the South's most innovative and influential elected state, county, and local elected officials of color for a policy roundtable at the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and GW Law. The elected officials met with leading experts and policy-makers, including Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jerry Abramson, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and many others. Sessions focused on workforce development, the school-to-prison pipeline, and health equity.

November Transition Roundtable for Elected Officials of Color: On November 16, the Joint Center – in partnership with NALEO – hosted leaders of over 20 organizations that represent elected officials of color (e.g., African American Mayors Association, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, National Association of Hispanic County Officials, National Caucus of Native American State Legislators) for a day-long roundtable in Washington, DC focused on the upcoming transition. The participants met at the White House, the Republican National Committee headquarters (co-hosted by INSIGHT America), and George Washington University Law School. Participants met with leaders like Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jerry Abramson, John Acton of the Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition, Management & Budget Chair for the Trump-Pence Transition Project Kay Coles James, and many others. At a reception following the event, we gave the Joint Center's highest honor--the Louis E. Martin Great American Award--toLabor Secretary Tom Perez.

Engaging Communities in Reducing Gun Violence: The Joint Center, Joyce Foundation, and Urban Institute released Engaging Communities in Reducing Gun Violence. The 57-page report focuses on race, gun violence, and policing reforms, and is based on recommendations of more than 100 community members convened in three diverse American cities—Richmond, Virginia, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Stockton, California. We also returned to Richmond and Milwaukee and organized events with community members about how to implement the recommendations.

How to Reduce Long Lines to Vote: The Joint Center released a policy brief and a 2-minute video on how to reduce long lines to vote. On average, Blacks wait in line to vote twice as long as whites and Latinos 1.5 times as long as whites, and some voters of color wait up to 7 hours. Long lines reduce voter turnout and can determine election outcomes.

Survey Data and Briefs: In 2016, we commissioned a nationwide survey that oversampled Blacks and Latinos to allow for detailed demographic analysis (e.g., Blacks and Latinos by age, gender, income, geography). The survey gathered data about preferences of Blacks, Latinos, and Whites on voting, policy, workforce, financial services, health and nutrition, energy, and other issues. We published a series of briefs based on the data.

Think Tank Leaders Luncheons: The Joint Center brought together researchers who focus on race at various think tanks (e.g. Brookings, CAP, Urban Institute) to share their newest research and ideas with one another over several lunches.